Kitten Development and Care: Weeks 3 and 4

By day 15, kittens’ eyes should be fully open. Over the next couple of weeks:

Teeth will emerge.

Kittens will start to walk short distances (gait tends to be wobbly until the 4th week).

Ears become erect, usually by the 3rd week.

Kittens will usually develop the ability to eliminate on their own, though this can take up to 5 weeks in some kittens (prior to this, mother cats stimulate elimination by licking the kittens’ genitals).

Eyes may begin changing to their permanent colour in the 4th week, though this usually begins around the 6th week and continues on until about the 12th week.

Kittens start to engage in social play with their siblings (primarily stalking and tackling).

Kittens that were born prematurely will take longer to reach many of the normal developmental milestones, but should catch up eventually.

Consult a veterinarian if kittens show symptoms of illness such a diarrhea, excessive crying, failure to suckle, vomiting, weight loss, or diarrhea. Diarrhea can become life-threatening very quickly in small kittens because it causes dehydration. To check for dehydration, gently pinch a fold of skin on the back of the kitten’s neck – if it doesn’t spring back quickly, the kitten is dehydrated.

Socialization of Young Kittens

At 3-4 weeks of age, kittens form lifelong impressions of people and animals. Take advantage of this sensitive period by facilitating positive experiences with as many different types of people and friendly, healthy pets as possible (men, women, children, people wearing hats or glasses, people with beards, other cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.). Providing other pets with treats in the presence of the kittens can help to create a positive association.

Supervise all interactions to make sure that people speak softly and handle kittens gently, and that other animals are calm and non-aggressive. Otherwise, socialization attempts may backfire, and the kittens can develop phobias that will be difficult to overcome later on.

Keep interactions to 5 minutes or less at this stage, and keep kittens close to the nest while interacting with them. Make sure that any animals introduced to the kittens are gentle and have a clean bill of health, and have people wash their hands with soap and water before handling the kittens. Instruct children on the importance of hygiene and careful handling of kittens.